Hamtaro's Dublin
by Macarov
Summary: Hamtaro is an goodhearted and friendly ham, living ownerless on the streets of Dublin. But the winter nights are cold and long. Can the hamster find a place he can call a home... a home he can call his own? My first fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first chapter of my first fanfic. About a month ago, I listened to a song by Loreena McKennitt titled "Dickens' Dublin." In no uncertain terms, I found it touching. Fast forward to last week, and you'd find me lying in bed at one in the morning unable to sleep and listening to music. The song came on, the idea for the story formed in my mind, and thus, here you have it. **

**This is not a songfic. At no point do any of the hamsters sing. **

**Please note that the only work I've read by Charles Dickens is "A Tale of Two Cities," so if you are a Dickens fan, I honestly apologize if this is not up to your standards. **

**Feel free to flame (it is my first fanfic, afterall), but please make it constructive. Oh, and for those of you who actually took the time to read all this bold print? Thank you.**

Hamtaro's Dublin

A man made his way up the busy street, scarf and coat wrapped tight around his body in an attempt to keep out invading illness. "Come on… come on…" the cream and orange hamster quietly urged the man, praying that the pedestrian's destination was the bookstore in whose doorway the ham had taken shelter and had waited patiently for the last half hour. Sure enough, and much to the little mammal's delight, the shop was the chap's intended objective.

As the man opened the large door and journeyed into the warm depths of the store, the hamster dashed in as well, rejoicing in his momentary liberation from the freezing outside temperatures.

Scurrying along the wall of tomes, and paying no heed to the greetings exchanged between the shop's manager and the customer, the cream and orange furred hamster made his way up the front counter. Finally, the little guy found himself before a cage. Inside was a brown hamster with a white underbelly. He was taller than the average hamster and, as usual, his snout was shoved between the twin covers of a book.

"Hamha, Maxwell!" The bookworm looked up upon hearing the cheerful greeting. "Hi there, Hamtaro. What brings you here?"

The cream and orange ham gave his friend a smile. "I'm just going around wishing all my friends a happy Christmas Eve."

"Why thank you, and a very merry Christmas Eve to you too!" But Maxwell's features soon turned from bright holiday cheer to concern. "But Hamtaro… isn't it a little bit cold outside to be running around? It smells like there's a good chance of snow tonight. Shouldn't you be trying to find a warm place to sleep?"

The bookworm tried to be careful and choose his words with sensitivity. Hamtaro, unlike Maxwell, had no owner and lived on the streets. There was not a hamster with more cheer and good nature in his heart, but the bookworm knew that the nights could get very nippy, especially in the late winter. Maxwell was always afraid that his good friend might freeze to death, but Hamtaro gave his friend a reassuring look.

"Don't worry, you're my last stop. I've already visited Pasmina and Penelope, Dexter, Howdy, Stan, and Sandy. Which reminds me…" Hamtaro pulled a sunflower seed out from behind his back. There was a festive ribbon tied snuggly to the shell. "This is from Sandy. She said that you'll get the rest of your Christmas present tomorrow, whatever that means."

Maxwell blushed profusely and accepted the gift. Hamtaro turned around and made ready to leave, but the bookworm told him to wait. The brown hamster walked over to his food dish and removed seven fresh sunflower seeds before handing them through the bars of his cage to his friend. "Here, Hamtaro. The least I can do is make sure you have a full stomach tonight."

"Really? Thanks, Maxwell! You're the best!" Hamtaro tucked the seeds into the same scarf-like pouch he had used to carry his friend's present. Maxwell smiled happily, glad he could help.

The bookworm called after his friend as the cream and orange hamster climbed down from the high counter. "And don't forget to keep warm, Hamtaro!"

"Don't worry! I won't!"

With that, Hamtaro rushed out of the bookstore, timing his exit with the same man he had entered alongside.

In a flash, he was running down the cold streets of Dublin, an eager grin on his face. Hamtaro knew just the hams he could share his sunflower seeds with.

Five and a half blocks later, Hamtaro ducked into a familiar alleyway just as the first fresh snowflakes began their downward decent. There were many such reclusive cubbies and hideaways in Dublin, but this alleyway was the warmest and most inviting of all.

Hamtaro couldn't help but smile as his brown eyes took in the forms of six hamsters clustered around a small fire. Boss, the largest of the group, had tan fur with dark markings. Perched atop his head and fitting snuggly between his ears was a yellow beanie to help drive the cold winter away. He was listening to Oxnard, who rivaled Boss in girth, complain about his stomach. Panda, whose markings mirrored those of the bear by the same name, was poking the flames with a stick while Cappy, the hat-obsessed ham, looked on lazily. Elder Ham, the breaded senior, was sound asleep beside the ever snoring Snoozer.

"Hey guys. Guess what I brought!" The hamster's attention, with the exceptions of Elder Ham and Snoozer, turned towards their good-natured friend, who was now holding aloft six of the seven sunflower seeds received from Maxwell.

"You've brought food!" Oxnard exclaimed, tears of happiness running dramatically down his cheeks.

"That's right, Oxy." The cream and orange ham began distributing the seeds to his fellow homeless and owner-deprived friends. "I figured that since I had some extras, I could share some of my dinner with you."

Elder Ham, at first annoyed and touchy when awakened from his nap, quickly had a change of heart as he accepted his share. Unable to be awakened, Hamtaro simply tucked Snoozer's seed into the sleeping ham's sock while merrily remarking, "You can just eat it when you wake up, Snoozer."

"Thanks a ton, Hamtaro. We owe ya one," Boss commented as he stripped the shell from his seed and began feasting. Noticing that his friend still had yet to dig in to his own portion, the tan ham inquired, "Hey, Hamtaro? Why aren't you eating yours? Something wrong with it?"

The ever-cheerful hamster shook his head. "No, there's nothing wrong with it. I just thought it'd be better if I found a place to sleep for the night before eating. Don't want to get stuck out in the snow."

Boss took another satisfying bite as he grumbled, "True, true…" The large, tan hamster noticed how the snowfall, which had started less than five minutes ago, had sluggishly begun to increase. He sniffed the air. Without a doubt, it was going to be one cold night. _Might be the coldest we've ever had_, Boss thought. He couldn't help but feel concerned for his young friend.

"You know, Hamtaro," Boss began, "if you need a warm place to sleep, you can use my straw-bed tonight." He indicated one of the six piles of the golden grass towards the back of the alley. "I could just lay down by the fire with Snoozer."

Hamtaro shook his head a second time. "Thanks, Boss, but I'll be fine. Besides, I wouldn't want to burden you."

Panda offered a worried look. "But where are you going to stay then?"

"Well, there's a church ten blocks down the street. I thought I could sneak in before they closed the doors."

His friends nodded their heads in agreement. "That does sound nice and warm," Oxnard supported.

"You'd better hurry though," Boss counseled while glancing at the clouded sky above. Panda added, "Yeah, don't they usually shut the doors just before sunset?"

Hamtaro looked at the sky. A look of alarm swept his face. "Ah! You're right!" The cream and orange ham quickly began dashing down the alley. "Sorry I've got to leave so fast! Night-Q!"

"Bye, Hamtaro!" his friends waved after him.

"Merry Christmas Eve!"

Elder Ham shook his head wearily as Hamtaro streaked around the corner and out of sight. "My, my… that poor ham. It really is a shame; that Hamtaro deserves so much more." The other hamsters nodded in accordance.

"Always the generous ham, that Hamtaro," Boss chimed in. "But no matter what, he just won't accept anything from us!"

Panda raised an eyebrow. "But you heard him. He doesn't want to be a burden." Oxnard looked down sheepishly, then commented, "Well, it's not like we have much to give anyway…"

Boss choked up, a drop of sweat forming on his forehead, before mumbling, "Yeah, I guess you guys are right…"

Suddenly, Elder Ham began chuckling quietly, as if he knew some secret deprived from the others.

"Huh? What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." The aged hamster crossed his paws behind his back and gazed solemnly skyward, a cunning grin betraying his innocent façade.

"But remember, my friends," the elder addressed the young whippersnappers, "it _is_ Christmas Eve." A sparkle gleamed in the old ham's eye.

"And there always seems to be a type of magic in the air on Christmas Eve…"

**And there you have it. The first chapter. At this point, I am debating between two possible ways to reach the story's conculsion. There might be only two chapters in this fanfic... or three... possibly four. Regardless, the rest (and the ending) should be up by the end of next week. Thank you for reading.**

** Macarov**


	2. Chapter 2

**The second chapter.**

**In response to Awsomewriter123: In fact, Bijou was left out of the first chapter on purpose. Do not fear, she makes her appearance in this chapter. Before I joined FanFictionNet, I remember reading you story "Four Hamsters, One Day." As I recally, it was very entertaining Truthfully, I ended up using some of your fics to help me grasp ahold of Bijou's French accent. It certainly helped. Thank you for reviewing.**

**In response to Michaiah: "If Hamtaro dies, it's your fault." Is it just me, or does that almost sound like a threat? :P I appricate you reviewing my story. (P.S. please keep updating "Shooting Star." I've read the first two chapters you've posted and would like to see where the story leads.)**

**Originally, I envisioned this chapter being on the shorter side. However, it turned out to be lengthier than the previous one. Well, without keeping you any longer-**

Chapter II

When Hamtaro had first set out for the church, the snowfall had been mild. Sure, it had been chilly, but the homeless ham found a certain charm in the deliberate, lazy decent of the snowflakes. However, in the course of traveling two blocks, the pleasant winter wonderland had transformed into the precursor of an impending snowstorm.

The cream and orange hamster wiped snow from his forehead as he pushed onward, taking his first step on the third block in his ten block journey. _All right, _Hamtaro silently encouraged himself, _only eight more blocks to go. You can do this!_

However, as fate would have it, the young ham chanced to glance upon the row of houses to his left. Apart from mere appearance, there was little difference that could be gleamed between the line of human dwellings. As was to be expected on Christmas Eve, each window blazed with warm yellow light. Inside could be heard the joyous laughter of families partaking in the simple pleasure of an evening together, perhaps putting the final finishing touches on their Christmas decorations.

So what compelled the cream and orange ham, despite the nearly conformist similarities in the varying residences, to look, and look first upon, _that_ house? The answer was simple: within the front window of this particular home which captured Hamtaro's attention was another hamster. More specifically, it was a hamster who the homeless ham had never seen before.

Her fur was the purest white Hamtaro had ever observed, rivaling even the spotless snowflakes descending to the earth, and, if he could trust his vision from such a distance, the brown-eyed hamster could make out two cerulean ribbons upon either side of her head, supporting a simple pigtail each. Hamtaro was acquainted with every hamster, owner or otherwise, living in Dublin. _She must have just moved here… _

Curiosity took the reins and, without wasting another interval, the cream and orange ham began marching towards the quaint homestead with the innocent intention of introducing himself.

"If only Maxwell's owners would get something like this for their bookstore," Hamtaro commented as he pushed his way through the doggie door built inconspicuously against the heavy wooden entrance.

The young ham shook his head, once again liberated from the harsh winter. Rubbing his paws together, Hamtaro observed as three humans—a cheery looking man, a pleasantly smiling woman, and a laughing girl—hung magnificently festive ornaments upon a towering Christmas tree, a roaring flame dominating the fireplace.

Hamtaro couldn't help but feel a slight bit envious as he stared at the blessed and mirthful family. As a homeless hamster, he had never been fortunate enough to have humans to spend time with. Much as he tried to shake it, the brown-eyed hamster suspected that he had always been missing out on a truly wonderful experience…

"Bonjour!"

The greeting pulled a startled Hamtaro from his distracting daydream. He looked up at the windowsill to discover the white furred hamster staring down at him, a look of curiosity on her face. Inwardly, Hamtaro slapped himself. He had become so caught up in the splendor of the room he had forgotten why he ventured into the house in the first place!

Nonetheless, he quickly recovered. "Hamha! My name's Hamtaro!"

The girlham gave him a sweet smile. "My name iz Bijou. Pleazed to meet you, 'Amtaro."

The cream and orange ham cocked his head to the side in a questioning manner. "I've never seen you or your humans around before. Are you new?"

Bijou nodded her head before delightfully responding, "Oui, we 'ave just moved here from France and 'ave only been in ze city for afew days. You are ze first 'amster I have met 'ere."

"Well then, let me be the first to say—" Hamtaro began, sprinting up to the windowsill and stopping neatly before the white ham. "—Welcome to Dublin!"

"Merci," the girlham giggled, charmed by the cream and orange hamster's enduring smile. Reaching back into his scarf-like pouch, the brown-eyed ham produced a sunflower seed, his precious last received from Maxwell, and offered it forward in an outstretched paw.

Bijou blinked, slightly taken aback. "Vat iz this?"

"Heke?" Hamtaro gave the French ham a puzzled expression. "It's a sunflower seed, silly!" A bead of sweat ran down the white ham's head. "No, 'Amtaro, I know it iz a sunflower seed. Vat I vish to know iz vhy you are giving it to me."

"Oh, right," Hamtaro chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. He indicated the seed in his still extended paw and gave his new friend a reassuring smile. "Just think of it as a welcome-to-Dublin present."

Bijou returned the warm look and, a slight blush in her cheeks, accepted the gift. "Merci, thank you very much, 'Amtaro."

"Don't mention it," the brown-eyed ham remarked. "Hey, Bijou, do they have snow in France too?"

She nodded, responding in her charming accent. "Oui, and it iz just az beautiful az the snow 'ere in Dublin. Thiz Christmas iz a wonderful holiday, non?"

"Yeah," Hamtaro laughed. "Your humans sure are enjoying their decorating!" The cream and orange ham could not resist risking another brief moment gazing upon Bijou's happy family.

While her new acquaintance was momentarily destructed, the French ham took the opportunity to study her new friend. She noticed the warmth and good-hearted nature of his brown eyes… his attractive fur pattern… then she shook herself out of it.

"So, 'Amtaro," Bijou started. Hamtaro tore his gaze from the young girl, who was now held aloft on her father's shoulders, back to his new friend. "You must zneak out of your cage quiet often, non?"

The cream and orange ham tilted his head to one side. "Heke? What do you mean, Bijou?"

"Vell, surely you must 'ave to zneak out of your cage to go outside? Zat iz so brave! But your humans must worry about you, do zey not?"

Suddenly, for reasons he couldn't fully understand, Hamtaro felt awkward and abash. The ham fumbled, not sure how to respond to Bijou's inquiry. "Uh… well, I don't… what I mean is that I…"

His brown eyes swing down towards his feet. "I… don't have any humans…"

Over the course of the resuming minutes, Hamtaro explained to Bijou how, in Dublin, not all hamsters had owners. Many of them had either been born on the streets or abandoned to the elements. He told her how he had been orphaned at a very young age and never received the chance to live with a human family. Strangely, as he spoke on the subject, Hamtaro felt a deep aching loneliness filling his heart.

Bijou had not known the cream and orange ham for long, but as Hamtaro told of the cold often unforgiving life found upon the streets of Dublin, it was the first moment she had ever witnessed his brown eyes begin to show… sadness.

"Zat is so 'orrible!" the French ham exclaimed. Then she looked down at the welcoming sunflower seed Hamtaro had awarded her. "I am zorry, 'Amtaro, but I cannot accept zis gift. Certainly you need it more zan I do." She attempted to hand the present back. The boyham gently shook his head.

"It's ok, Bijou. Really. I can always try to find more tomorrow." She still seemed unconvinced. He gave his friend a comforting smile.

"Besides, I already ate my dinner tonight. I'll be fine."

It was a lie. A flat out fib. Truthfully, Hamtaro had been hungry before he had entered the house. But he couldn't let Bijou know that. She would worry about him. Furthermore, Bijou had just recently moved to Dublin, and the cheerful hamster was very certain that it was a display of overall good manners to present her with a welcoming gift.

"Are you certain, 'Amtaro?"

"Positive. Afterall, it is Christmas Eve!"

She smiled shyly. Attempting to remedy the now uncomfortable conversation, Hamtaro began to ask Bijou about life in France. What types of hamsters lived there? What did she do for fun? How many friends did she have? Lost in each other's company, the two hams spoke of past experiences, lessons learned, and any fascinating subjects that came to mind. Time flew; minutes ticked on.

At that moment, Hamtaro happened to glance out the window. "Ah!" he exclaimed with alarm. "Where is all the light going?!"

He had visited with Bijou longer than he had intended. Outside, the lamplighter had already begun his rounds—the street lamps glowed, casting their faint light upon the quickly darkening world. The daylight was disappearing.

Bijou looked through the portal too. "It must be almost zunset." She viewed Hamtaro out of the corner of her teal eyes. "It iz romantic, non?" But the cream and orange ham seemed not to pay any heed to the magic of the impending hour. In fact, he seemed quite panicked.

"Sorry, Bijou, but I have to go!"

The French ham looked downcast. "Vat iz ze matter?" Was he upset with her? Had she done something wrong?

Hamtaro walked to the edge of the windowsill, prepping himself to jump down, remarking as he did so, "I'm really sorry, but I have to get to the church before it gets dark. If I don't, I'll be stuck outside tonight!"

Bijou responded in a distressed tone. "Zen you do not 'ave much time! You must 'urry!" The cream and orange ham nodded his assent. "Have a happy Christmas Eve, Bijou."

"Oui, and you az vell, 'Amtaro. Zank you once again for ze sunflower seed."

He gave her one last enduring smile, then jumped down to the wooden floor. As he ran, Hamtaro's ears picked up the family's mother remarking innocently, "That's… odd. Is it just me, or does it feel like something is missing?"

Husband looked upon wife with a questioning expression. "You know, now that you mention it… wait! Where is—" Hamtaro pushed through the doggie door and into the freezing weather, missing the conclusion of the man's question.

Back inside the comfortable interior of the house, Bijou watched out the window as the cream and orange ham fought his way at a determined pace through the now inch deep snowfall. Her features took on a look of concern. _He iz such a brave 'amster, _her thoughts spoke unheard. _I 'ope you can find a place to keep varm tonight, 'Amtaro._

The French ham shifted her gaze to the sky. She marveled at the way each individual snowflake danced around its fellows in its decent earthward. When she spoke, her voice came in the form of a beautiful whisper.

"Someday, 'Amtaro, I 'ope you can find a place you can call your home…"

**There is now only one final chapter left to go. As before, flames are accepted. In fact, as I was editing this chapter, parts of it seemed... off. I'd like to know if any other author thought similarly. Also, if somebody could give me afew pointers with Bijou's accent, it would be greatly appricated. Thank you for reading.**

**Macarov**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the final chapter. I know I promised that this fic would be completed by the end of next week, but I completely forgot to take my cousin's wedding into consideration. Nonetheless, I got it up. However, before beginning-**

**To Awsomewriter123: Thank you for complimenting my dialogue. I often find it's the most difficult part of a story for me to write, so it truely meant a lot. Your suggestion of having Hamtaro tell Bijou about his past through conversation sounds intriging. Maybe I'll go back and edit some backstory in there. Thank you for reading!**

**To Michaiah: Don't worry, I understood what you meant and that you were joking. Forgive me- sometimes I just can't help but tease people. I appreciate your advice on using Bijou's accent. Like I stated before, often dialogue is the hardest part of a story for me (it just has to be _perfect_, ya know?) and when you add a French accent in there... ANYWAY! Thank you very much for the review. **

**And now, the conclusion. Please enjoy. (Oh, and because I forgot to say this in the first two chapters- I do not own Hamtaro, Dublin, etc etc.) **

Horses pranced down the cobbled road, their riders urging the mounts to make haste. Hamtaro glanced at them as he contended against the insidious winter wind. One day, he hoped to chance a ride on such a steed and go off into the countryside.

Determination forced the cream and orange ham from his dream. Daylight was disappearing and fast. He had to get to the church—find a warm place he could call home for the night—or he would surely freeze.

Dispassionate snow rained from the heavens in torrent sheets and piled atop the young ham's head. Still driven, Hamtaro labored onward. _Three more blocks to go…_

Ahead, beneath an illuminating street lamp, a fuzzy mass came into sight. Hamtaro froze. The object shook itself, agitated by the snowflakes melting on contact with its thick brown coat. The inquisitive hamster skeptically crept closer. The thing looked at the cream and orange ham. Hamtaro expressed relief.

It was just a dog.

The creature's black eyes, seated within the hound's white face, examined the hamster with curiosity and assessment. Hamtaro ventured nearer, all while putting on his best smile and waving hardily. Sensing no ill will, the dog barked a greeting, it's tail waving vigorously through the snowy air.

"Hello," Hamtaro greeted. "What's your name?"

The dog shook its head energetically, showing off its blue collar. Hamtaro read the name inscribed upon the golden tag which hung from the azure neckpiece.

"_Brandy_," the ham read out loud. He looked upon the canine. "So your name is Brandy?" The dog gave a delighted bark in response. The cream and orange ham nodded. "My name's Hamtaro. Nice to meet you, Brandy!"

And yet, as the homeless ham examined his new acquaintance, something just did not add up. The dog certainly seemed well taken care of. The collar also begged questioning. _Wait… shouldn't this dog be home right now? Doesn't he have an owner?_

"Why are you out on a night like this? Are you lost?"

Brandy's eyes took on sadness as the black orbs turned downward to stare with sorrow upon the snow-covered road. Hamtaro nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I hope your owners find you soon."

But Hamtaro knew that there was a chance—a very good chance—that this dog would not be found until tomorrow morning, and the temperature continued dropping. Snow perpetually piled atop both mammals, forcing them to periodically shake themselves free of the powder. It was then that the cream and orange hamster had an idea.

"Hey, Brandy? Why don't you come sleep in the church with me tonight? It's got to be warmer than staying outside." The canine looked upon the hamster with a curious expression, clearly considering the offer. Hamtaro continued.

"I'll even help you look for your owners tomorrow morning. Whaddya say?"

The dog replied with an exuberant yelp. Hamtaro smiled, then set off once again towards the chapel, Brandy walking merrily alongside. As the pair methodically fought their way through the gathering storm, the hamster conversed with the dog. Brandy seemed to enjoy the company and Hamtaro had to admit a companion certainly aided in the battle against the seemingly invincible elements. The warming light emitting from the transparent windows of the homes and buildings littering the side of the street seemed to taunt the struggling pair.

At last, Hamtaro saw it. The structure appeared quaint yet surpassing; stalwart while remaining accessible. Majestic windows complimented the chapel's prominent and towering bell tower. The church was enough to give anybody pause, even a hamster and dog caught in a Christmas Eve snowstorm.

"Come on, Brandy!" Hamtaro called. Already anticipating the warmth to come, the young ham dashed off towards the sanctuary, Brandy following close behind, spurred on by the hamster's excitement.

The duo reached the chapel's front. However, the doors were set snuggly shut. A chain and lock entwined the handles.

They were too late.

The hamster and dog were locked outside.

Brandy looked upward at the iron bolt with as if inquiring why the portal would not open. The white-faced dog whined longingly. "Brandy…" Hamtaro didn't know what to say. He had been so certain they would arrive before they could close the doors. How could he have taken so long?

Now, another feeling consumed Hamtaro's being.

Guilt.

Brandy was condemned to the emotionless winter night because of him. If he had just traveled a little faster—pushed himself a miniscule harder—they would have arrived in time. He had promised the dog warmth and a cozy place to spend the night. And now? Brandy would most likely freeze and it was Hamtaro's fault.

When the cream and orange ham finally found his voice, it was raspy with grief. "Brandy… I… I'm so sorry…"

The dog whimpered while scratching uselessly at the wooden barricade blocking their entrance. Hamtaro frowned as he beheld the baleful sight.

Suddenly, the young ham's eyes burned with newfound determination. "Come on, Brandy," he called to the canine, jumping down from the chapel steps. "We can't give up yet! I'll make sure we find a place to stay tonight!" With that, the cream and orange hamster set off back along the snow covered street, Brandy following loyally behind.

* * *

Hamtaro began to shiver. Undaunted, he pressed onward, rubbing his paws against the cold gusts, which blew like a torrent, and the snow, which would not cease.

Back down the abandoned blocks of Dublin the pair struggled, their progress marked by the trail of quickly filling footprints they left behind. Hamtaro shook snow from his head as another shivering fit quaked his form. Brandy gave an anxious whine. The dog was concerned for his new hamster friend.

Kind brown eyes glanced back to look upon the canine. "D-Don't w-worry, Brandy, we'll find s-someplace warm s-soon," the ham responded, misinterrupting the dog's uneasy look.

_Maybe,_ Hamtaro groggily thought, _I'm pushing myself too hard_. He didn't care. The truthworthy ham had made a promise to Brandy, and he wasn't about to even consider going back on his word.

But determination alone could not keep the wind from blowing. It could not melt the snow that hindered the pair's path. And, most of all, determination could no longer keep Hamtaro from uncontrollable and tremorous shaking.

The hamster wearily looked up to find the illuminating light of the streetlamp he had originally found Bandy under. All footprints from their previous journey down the street had been covered by fresh snowfall.

White flakes continuously piled atop the cream and orange ham and brown furred dog. Soon, Hamtaro found he could no longer muster the strength to rock the white powder off. It accumulated on the young ham's back and rested like the gargoyles from the chapel upon his ears.

A block later, the hamster's shivering continued in earnest, his breaths beginning to come in shallow gasps. Feeling ebbed from his paws and ears. The dog took worried glances at the cream and orange ham, but could do nothing but trudge alongside.

Suddenly, as if some unseen force had flipped a switch, the wind halted. The night became still, snowflakes falling peacefully down from the heavens. In the distance, the bell in the chapel's tower called the hour.

Blocks away from Hamtaro and Brandy, within the confines of the bookstore, Maxwell slept peacefully while cradling a ribbon wrapped sunflower.

Two houses down from the shop, a tiger stripped boyham sang a sweet song to his twin sister as she fell asleep, dreaming of a brown and white furred bookworm.

Across the way, a pink scarf wearing female hamster was reading a goodnight story to a young, yellow blanket wearing ham who, before closing her eyes, managed a weak and content "Oakwee…"

From the warm interior of the shop next-door could be made out the voices of two hamsters singing Christmas carols. One had gray fur with spectacle-like markings around his eyes. The other sported brown fur with a red apron. Normally fierce rivals, the pair had put aside their differences to celebrate the impending holiday.

Five and a half blocks away, within a cozy alleyway, six homeless hamsters slept peacefully on comfortable beds of straw, insulating them from the chilling winter night.

A few blocks from the hideaway, staring out the clear window of a household, was a white furred hamgirl with cerulean ribbons in her hair. She gazed upon the sleeping city of Dublin, her concerned thoughts centered on a certain cute and silly ham who had visited her earlier that evening.

Only a couple blocks away, underneath the angelic luminescence of a streetlamp, snow descending from on high like seraphim, a cream and orange ham collapsed. Hamtaro's limbs were numb from the cold. His body stopped shivering, forfeiting the attempt to keep his body temperature up.

Brandy was instantly at the hamster's side. He nudged the little ham with his nose, hoping that the small and vain act of compassion would revive his new friend. With weakness that was terrible for the dog to behold, Hamtaro lifted his head all he could and breathed, "…I'm sorry, Brandy."

The homeless ham began to black out. Through his clouding vision, Hamtaro could make out the distinct outline of someone or something approaching the pair. The hamster's numb ears made out the sound of footfalls compacting the soft powder covering the street.

Then, the cream and orange ham slipped into unconsciousness. His world dissolved into a cold dark abyss…

* * *

Hamtaro came to with his eyes still closed.

He was laying on something soft. The hamster could feel a blanket covering his body. While sore, he could once again feel his paws.

Hamtaro opened his eyes slowly. Taking in his surroundings, he found they looked familiar. Very familiar. _Wait… I know where this is! I'm back in Bijou's family's house!_

And there, sitting beside the cream and orange ham's still form, was the French hamgirl. She appeared woeful. The white ham nervously twiddled her paws while looking down at her feet, the grief painted clearly upon her features. Her teal eyes, which Hamtaro remembered being so bright when he had visited earlier, were clouded over with distress and concern. _Has she been crying? _

The cream and orange ham sat upright. His voice was raspy and timid. "Bijou?"

Startled, the French ham looked up. Her features changed quickly from surprise to settle upon a cute and relieved smile. Bijou's eyes lit up. "Hamtaro!" she exclaimed, impulsively wrapping her arms around the boyham in a warm hug. The brown-eyed hamster blushed, then turned his attention back to his surroundings.

When Hamtaro had first visited the humble abode, there had been a dominating flame filling the brick fireplace. Now, crackling embers were all that remained. Nonetheless, the remnants cast more than enough light to see the little girl sleeping nearby upon a pile of fluffed pillows, a soft blanket wrapped snuggly around her. In his head, Hamtaro tried to figure out what happened, but the pieces just weren't fitting together.

"Bijou," he asked, somewhat dreamily, into the hamgirl's ear, "how'd I get here?"

The French ham pulled back from the embrace. Her cheeks flushed as she realized how long she had held Hamtaro.

"As you left earlier zis evening," Bijou began to explain, "my family realized zat our dog vas missing." _Wait, _Hamtaro thought. _A dog?_

Without warning, the cream and orange ham felt the soft surface he was sitting on shift. His gazed down at the brown material, and realization hit him like a train.

"Brandy!" he exclaimed at the napping dog, who merely yawned and returned to slumber with the two hamsters upon his back. Hamtaro looked to Bijou. "So Brandy belongs to your family?"

The French ham beamed at him. "Oui. He iz usually so very lazy and never does anything but sleep. We vere all surprised to find zat he vent outside... and very concerned."

Bijou's eyes turned to the young maiden, who remained fast asleep. "My owners vere so very worried about Brandy. Zey immediately set out into ze night to find him." Her teal orbs once again focused upon Hamtaro. "Ven zey finally found Brandy, zey also found you collapsed in ze snow. So, zey brought you back here. Brandy would not leave your side for an instant."

Hamtaro smiled graciously at this and thanked the canine, receiving another yawn in response.

"You are feeling better now, non?" There was concern in Bijou's accent. Hamtaro nodded reassuringly. "Much better thanks to you, Bijou!"

The French ham blushed, then gestured once again towards the sleeping girl. "It iz her you should zank, Hamtaro."

The hamboy watched as the child sluggishly repositioned herself while sleepily mumbling in an innocent voice, "… the cute hamster saved Brandy… can we keep him, Daddy? Please…?"

Bijou beamed. "I zink she likes you, Hamtaro."

The cream and orange hamster's expression displayed hopeful surprise. "She said 'keep him'! She wants me to live here?"

Bijou nodded excitedly. "Her parents would have a hard time saying non." Hamtaro was speechless. All his life, he had lived on the streets, believing he would never have an owner. And now…

The boyham's ears picked up a faint, muffled chime.

This was followed by another.

Then another still.

Hamtaro's ears twitched. Without warning, he ran down from Brandy's back and up onto the windowsill to gaze out upon the silent and sleeping city. The ringing echoed out from the chapel's belltower, tolling the hour. The cream and orange ham counted the chimes. _Twelve rings…_

"It's Christmas morning…" For the most minute of moments, the grey clouds parted just enough for Hamtaro to catch a glimpse of the stars. Their light seemed to christen the pure snowflakes.

"It iz beautiful, non?" Bijou had followed him. He gave the French ham an enduring smile and nodded. The pair gazed out at the hushed snowfall.

Finally, Bijou timidly asked, "Hamtaro?"

"Yeah, Bijou?"

"Merry Christmas," she remarked. "And welcome to your new home."

She kissed the boyham's cheek and, blushing, jumped down from the windowsill, leaving a surprised but delighted Hamtaro to once again gaze out upon the frozen streets of Dublin, cheeks flushed red.

An immeasurable smile dominated his features. Tears of joy and thankfulness threatened to fall from his brown eyes as he gratefully stated—

"I've finally found a place I can call my home… a home I can call my own."

**Certainly not perfect, but for my first fanfic... eh, I'll let it slide. Once again, thanks go out to my two reviewers. Both of your advice and support, from the good-natured to the instructional, was more helpful than you realize. Thank you.**

**Also, I would now like to make an announcement of sorts. This story was something similar to a test pilot- I wanted to get warmed up to fanfictionnet. Now that my first fanfic is out there, I can finally declare that I have been working on a longer and, in my opinion, better piece of Hamtaro fanfiction for the past week. Now that I have this new story's outline figured out, you should be able to expect the first chapter within a month. Readers, please stay loyal and keep writing.**

**Macarov**


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